Sunk Cost Fallacy
by anatomyfan
Summary: Olivia and Carisi follow the car to an abandoned parking lot to see another car pulling up to the first one. The Lieutenant gets a closer look and her jaw drops when she spots the familiar blonde. "Oh my god, that's Alex Cabot." Olivia said.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, for those who have read my 'WITHK' story and how Alex came back to Olivia after WITSEC, in this story, she, Natalie and Xander (who were also in WITSEC unlike the previous story) came back to New York, but Alex and Olivia never got back together in a romantic sense. I only own the original characters.**

* * *

"Just don't do anything stupid or get arrest for this Mom." Natalie said as she rubs Allie's head while on the phone with her mother.

"Sweetie, you know me better than that." Alex said.

"I know, but ever since you and Liv never got back together after we came back from WITSEC, you've been...I have an idea on what to call it, but I can't say it because I have little ears in the room." Allie and Noah giggle and Alex slowly smiles when she hears her grandkids giggling.

"Give the kids a kiss for me and I'll be there soon, ok?"

"Ok. I love you Mom."

"I love you too honey." Natalie hangs up the phone and looks at the kids.

"Here comes the pajama monster!" Natalie joked and chases the kids up the stairs to Allie's room.

Olivia and Carisi follow the car to an abandoned parking lot to see another car pulling up to the first one. The Lieutenant gets a closer look and her jaw drops when she spots the familiar blonde.

"Oh my god, that's Alex Cabot." Olivia said.

A few minutes later, Olivia starts to walk over to Alex for the first time since 2012 when the blonde was the ADA for SVU.

"I figured you would be in Florida with Natalie and Xander, since they're both pro soccer players, and like the rest of the retired ADA's." Olivia said to her ex-girlfriend.

"Florida makes my hair fizzy. You should see Natalie's. Hers curls up, but she does put her hair into a tight bun for her games." Alex said as she starts to walk away from Olivia.

"Well, who wants a kidnapper with frizzy hair?"

"No one's being kidnapped. I only help people who want to be helped." Alex looks at the lieutenant.

"Like Jules and Ruby Hunter? Ruby is four years old, Alex. At the very minimum, you're an accomplice to kidnapping."

"I'm helping them start an extended vacation." Alex said.

"You faked their deaths. You planted evidence." Olivia said as they hide behind a car.

"Technically, the cops misread the facts."

"Don't play games with me, Alex please."

"They were abused. I do what I have to do."

"Jesus. Alex, Nick Hunter is sitting at Rikers charged with murdering his wife and daughter."

"It's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"How many husbands are sitting in prison because you decided to take the law into your own hands?"

"The law cannot protect these women."

"Yes and nobody knows that better than I do! I live there." They look at each other, trying to figure out what to say next to each other.

"Look, we both seen abused women. We put abusers in prison."

"What about the ones we couldn't?" Alex asked softly.

"You can't break the law, Alex." Olivia said.

"Why the hell not?!"

"Because it makes you a criminal. That's why."

"Are you going to arrest me?"

"Before I do anything, I'm going to speak with Jules Hunter."

"You wanna work on your soccer skills?" Natalie asked Noah in the backyard since Allie was at school and Noah's preschool was closed for the week and was suffering a concussion she sustained for the national team against Mexico.

"Yeah." Noah said and they get to work. As he kicks the ball into the goal, Natalie's phone starts ringing. She walks over to the patio table and looks at the caller ID.

Olivia

"What happened?" Natalie asked on the phone.

"You might want to come up here to possibly bail your mother out and get her to Florida." Olivia said.

"I told her not to do anything stupid. Ok, I'll be on the next flight to New York." Natalie hangs up her phone and sighs.

"Hey Noah? Do you want to go up to New York to see Grandma?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah!" He said.

"Come on, let's go pack." They head inside to pack and Natalie heads to New York with both kids.

Carisi is at his desk, trying to figure out more of the case when he does a double take and stands up.

"Can I help you?" He asked and Olivia looks over and takes off her glasses when she recognizes the person.

"I'm looking for -"

"Natalie." Olivia said and Natalie looks over and slowly smiles.

"Olivia." Natalie said then walks over to the lieutenant and they hug then walk into the office.

"Who was that?" Carisi asked.

"That would be Natalie Cabot. She's a big soccer star and created a Broadway show, not to mention one of the best songwriters in the country." Amanda said.

"Cabot. As in Alex Cabot?"

"That would be my daughter." Alex said as she walks into the squad room and heads to the office. She walks into the room and Natalie looks at her mother.

"I told you not to do anything stupid." Natalie said.

"Wait, wait, wait. You knew about this?" Olivia asked Natalie, who sighs.

"I had a feeling."

"Ok, when in the world did all of this start?" Natalie looks at her mother, who nods.

"Five years ago, I was in an abusive relationship." Natalie said and Olivia is stunned to hear this.

"She was dating a guy in college and they were great together. At first." Alex said.

"I met Kevin at Rutgers. He was charming and sweet. About three months into the relationship, I would show up to soccer practice with bruises and my teammates thought I was working hard at practice for it to happen. Until they saw the fingerprint bruises on my throat."

"We called the NYPD, the New Jersey police...nothing. So while Kevin was away, Natalie changed her number, moved out of the apartment and lived with one of her teammates on the national team in Jersey."

"Then Kevin shows up dead in his other girlfriend's apartment. Apparently, she knew that he was seeing me and four other women at the same time and put an end to it. Permanently. After he broke her nose, cheek bone and cracked her jaw."

"Now you know why I do what I do." Alex said.

"That I am going to be speaking to you about later." Natalie said to her mother and looks at her. Olivia looks at them and is almost looking into a mirror as she looks at the two of them.

"You're the one who said -"

"I didn't say do this! Jesus Mom. You have two kids and three grandkids who need you. One of these days, you're going to get yourself killed. Then what is going to happen to me and Xander? We already lost Dad to a car accident. I'm not going to stand on the sideline and lose my Mom."

"Sweetie -" Natalie walks out of the office and Alex sighs.

"She takes after you, you know." Olivia said.

"I know." Alex said.

"And she's right. You are going to get yourself killed if you continue to do this."

The next day, Natalie walks into the squad room and hears the familiar sound of her mother and Olivia arguing and sighs.

"Not again." Natalie said then walks into the office after taking the folder from Amanda.

"Enough!" Natalie said and both women look at her.

"Do I have to smack some sense into both of you? Mom, you cannot put someone away for murder without proof."

"He shouldn't have been released." Alex said.

"And Olivia, I got this from Amanda since she didn't want to interrupt you two and the squabble that you two are doing." Natalie hands over the folder and Olivia reads it.

"No skid marks and the car was traveling at over 50 miles per hour. Rollins." Olivia said and Amanda walks into the office.

"I want to know everything that Nick Hunter has done since Jules came back into the city."

"You got it." Amanda said then walks out of the office. That night, Natalie, Alex and Olivia walk down the sidewalk with Alex's hand in the crook of Natalie's elbow.

"So besides soccer, what have you been up to?" Olivia asked Natalie.

"I created a small Broadway show called 'Hamilton'." Natalie said and Olivia looks at her.

"You're kidding."

"No, I created the show with Lin-Manuel Miranda. I also was part of a small movie called 'La La Land' that had me win two Oscars for Best Score and Best Original Song."

"I knew you were good with music."

"She's one of the best songwriters in the world." Alex said. Natalie stops then squats down as Allie and Noah run over. She picks up Noah and Allie hugs her and the soccer player sees her friend doing a single wave and she does one back.

"The best part of any day is seeing these two." Natalie said as Alex rubs Allie's head.

"Oh man. I can't believe how much Allie has grown." Olivia said.

"She's going to be nine." Alex said with her arm around Allie.

"Honey? Can you say hi to Olivia?" Natalie asked Allie.

"Hi." Allie said.

"Hi Allie. I remember you when you were two years old." Olivia said with a smile as Natalie places Noah onto her shoulders.

"Really?" Allie asked.

"Of course. You looked exactly like your Mom and Grandma." Alex looks at Olivia and Natalie bites her lip.

"How about I give you two some alone time?" Natalie suggested.

"Thank you." Alex said softly and watches Natalie walk away with the kids. Alex looks at Olivia and sees the Lieutenant looking at her.

"You're a great grandmother to them." Olivia said.

"Thanks. Those two and Xander's son...they're my world. And...I'm gonna head to Florida to be the built in grandma." Olivia's heart starts to shatter.

"That's amazing."

"How are Parker and Emily?"

"They're both doing great. Parker is at Duke on a basketball scholarship and Emily attends Penn State on a soccer scholarship."

"That is really great. Sometimes I imagine my life and how...how I should have come running after you after the kids and I came back from WITSEC." Alex said.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was scared to find out if you had moved on from me."

"I tried to, but...I couldn't. I never got over you Alex. And...I don't want you to go to Florida unless I go with you." Olivia said.

"Liv, I am not asking you to give up the NYPD for me. This is your life and New York is your home."

"Then I guess this is where we say goodbye. One last time." Alex nods and Olivia hugs her and neither women wanted to let go. Alex pulls back first and Olivia kisses her forehead tenderly as they hold hands.

"Bye Alex." Olivia said softly.

"Goodbye Liv." Alex said softly then walks away. The Lieutenant places her hands on her hips as she looks down then looks to her right and sees Alex getting into a rental car. Natalie looks at her mother from the driver's seat and Alex sighs.

"Mom -"

"I don't want to talk about it, Natalie." Alex said softly then looks at her.

"Ok." The soccer player turns on the car and drives off. Olivia quietly sighs as she watches the love of her life be driven away from her.

Again.

* * *

 **Should I continue or leave as it is?**


	2. Chapter 2

**I decided to update**

* * *

"Ok, we have to come up with a plan to get Mom and Olivia back together." Natalie said to Xander as Alex took Natalie's kids to the store with her.

"How exactly are we doing that? I'm not five and can't accidentally trip anymore." He said as he scratches his bearded jaw.

"You still trip over your own feet."

"Oh ha, ha, ha." He said with sarcasm.

"We get Parker and Emily involved in this one. Emily, despite her going to my arch rival Penn State, is done with training until June. I can call her or shoot her a DM on Instagram to have her come down here. You try to get in touch with Parker and get him here as well."

"Alright." The front door opens.

"A little help here guys." Alex said and her kids walk over and take a couple of grocery bags from their mother and kisses her cheek as Allie and Noah run over to the TV.

"Allie, you have homework to do." Natalie said.

"Oh man." Allie said

"You know the rules. No TV until homework is done."

"Ok." Allie walks over to the dining room table and works on her homework as the adults put away the groceries.

"Ok, when are you getting rid of that thing you call a beard?" Natalie asked.

"Not anytime soon. Why?" Xander asked when his phone pings.

"Xander, you look thirty when you're only 22." Alex said as Xander looks at his phone and puts it away.

"I don't plan on getting rid of it. And my wife has texted me that AJ is acting up. I gotta go relieve her." Xander said then kisses his mother's cheek and walks out of the house. Natalie looks at her mother as the former attorney is on her laptop.

"Why are you looking at me?" Alex asked then looks at her daughter.

"Nothing. Just...ever since you moved here a month ago...you haven't been happy." Natalie said as she puts away the fruit in the fridge.

"Ever since seeing Olivia again, I haven't stopped thinking about her."

"Maybe it's time that you stop ignoring your heart and listen to it." Natalie looks on her computer and sees an email from Emily saying that she'll be in Florida to help.

"Maybe you're right. So, when do you head to Chicago?"

"Tomorrow. I'm heading to the airport after dropping the kids off at school. I'll be back Saturday night since it's an afternoon game." Natalie said then looks at her phone.

From Xander:

Parker is on board

"Mommy? What's for dinner?" Noah asked.

"We are having chicken." Natalie said.

"Please tell me Grandma's not cooking." Allie said.

"Hey! I resent that remark." Alex said with a smile.

"Mom, you almost set my kitchen on fire last week. You're lucky I came home in time." Natalie said with a chuckle.

Olivia finds a picture of her, Alex and the kids at Christmas before Alex, Natalie and Xander went into WITSEC. She puts the picture on her desk and places her thumbs under her chin.

"You ok?" Amanda asked as she walks into the office.

"Just thinking about the next chapter." Olivia said.

"You're still in love with Cabot, aren't you?"

"I never stopped being in love with her. But she's in Florida now with her two kids, a daughter-in-law and three grandkids. Lately, I've been thinking about retiring and moving to Florida since my kids are grown. The three bedroom apartment gets lonely when they're at school."

"Go after her."

"It's not easy, Amanda. This is my home." Olivia said as Fin walks into the room.

"Liv, I've known you since the twins were three. You were more happier with Cabot than those other dudes you were with after her. Go be with her. We'll can handle everything here after you leave." Fin said.

"You sure?"

"It's time to get your true love back." Amanda said.

"And my kids just texted me. They're heading to Florida to see Natalie and Xander since they all started communicating with each other again after Natalie and Xander lost their father in 2015." Olivia said after checking her phone.

"See? There's your sign that you should be in Florida." Fin said.

"Ok, so this is the plan. There is a park here." Natalie points on the map to Xander, Emily and Parker on Sunday after she came back from Chicago the night before.

"Ok." Parker said.

"In the park, there is a gazebo that a lot people have used to propose or get married in. If we set up a table for them and have them sitting face to face for dinner, I think it could work." Natalie said.

"Just one question. If it doesn't work and it back fires?" Emily asked.

"Then we lock them in a closet and pray."

"Wait, how do we know that Olivia's coming?" Xander asked.

"I told her that Emily and I got reacquainted with you two and she's coming to visit. She also said that she has news that she wanted to tell Emily and I in person." Parker said.

Alex looks at the lake that Natalie's house is on during sunset and quietly sighs. She can't stop thinking about Olivia and how she wasted time not telling the detective that she was still in love with her. As she is thinking, Natalie hands her Mom a glass of wine.

"Thanks sweetie." Alex said then takes a sip of it as Natalie sits next to her on the couch.

"Despite the humidity, you liking Orlando?" Natalie asked then takes a sip of her Gatorade.

"It's really amazing and I get to see the kids grow up."

"But you miss Olivia, don't you?"

"I do. I was really scared that she had moved on from us three, you know?"

"Mhm. But you were never happy with Robert and I'm really glad you didn't marry him. Because Xander and I hated him." Alex looks at her.

"You guys never told me that."

"We thought you were happy, so we stayed silent. All we wanted was for you to be happy. A couple times, I almost went to the precinct to tell Olivia that you were still in love with her."

"Sometimes, I wish you did. So what about you?"

"What about me what?" Natalie asked.

"You gonna try dating again?" Natalie sighs.

"Honey, you know every guy or girl is not like Kevin." Alex said.

"It's not that. I'm just scared to know their reaction would be if I told them that I was in an abusive relationship." Natalie said.

"I get it. I really do, but you need someone to take care of you after the kids go to bed."

"I know Mom. I just...I don't know if I'll ever be ready to start dating again."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the lack of updates. Been trying to figure out how to get this chapter going. And I am so glad that SVU is BACK! Anyway, a few familiar faces are going to pop up in this chapter, so enjoy!**

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"So you're moving here?" Emily asked Olivia as they are inside Olivia's hotel room to get ready to go out to dinner. Olivia arrived a few hours earlier from New York.

"I am." Olivia said.

"Mom, that's great. We know that you haven't been happy in a while." Parker said as he fixes his collar on his dress shirt after putting on the tie.

"What do you guys think of Orlando?"

"It's a great city. Great people, you're about thirty minutes away from Disney." Emily said.

"Yeah, I'm not planning on going to Disney. But I did talk to Natalie. She needs help with her foundation and being here to help her with it would be great." Olivia said. As they walk out of the hotel room, the twins look at each other and are both praying that the plan will work.

"Ok, so thank you for watching the kids." Natalie said to Kristen as she puts in her earrings then places her hand on her teammate's shoulder as she puts on her heels.

"It's no problem." Kristen said.

"So Allie finished her homework, but no more than one movie before they go to bed. They had their baths. Allie goes to bed at nine and Noah at eight."

"Got it."

"If you have any problems, just call me."

"I won't have problems, but I will call you if I need you."

"If for some reason they can't get to sleep, call Ash. She knows how to get them to bed."

"And we gotta go." Xander said as he gently pulls his sister outside.

"Have fun." Kristen said and Natalie closes the front door. Natalie places her keys into her purse and sees their mother talking to Quinn, Xander's wife, who is also friends with Natalie after Natalie dated Quinn's classmate, Rachel Berry.

"You brought your wife?" Natalie asked him in German.

"I had to so we don't throw off the suspicion." He replied back as they walk back to his car.

"Then who's putting the dinner onto the table?"

"I got it covered. Ok, Mom. You are going to sit in the back with Natalie." Xander said in English.

"Alright." Alex said and they get into the car. As they are driving to the park, Natalie's phone pings and she looks at it.

From Emily B:

Where's the food?

From Natalie:  
What are you talking about?

From Parker B:

SOMEONE TOOK THE FOOD!

"Xan, just go to the restaurant." Natalie said.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because your buddy screwed up." Natalie said in German and Xander sighs.

"For crying out loud Dom." He said in German and Alex has a confused look on her face with Quinn as both Natalie and Xander are muttering in German.

"Please tell me you speak German, Mom." Quinn said to Alex.

"I would hope so after a long time, but no." Alex said.

Emily, Parker and Olivia walk inside the cozy and romantic restaurant in Orlando and the hostess smiles.

"Do you have a reservation?" She asked.

"Two under Cabot." Parker said and Olivia has a confused look on her face.

"But there are three of us." Olivia said.

"Emily and Parker won't be joining you." Natalie said from behind them and they turn around to see Natalie, Xander, Quinn and Alex.

"Neither will Natalie, Quinn and I." Xander said.

"So, what, you guys decided to set us up on a date?" Alex asked.

"Yes." They said at the same time and the four younger adults walk out of the restaurant.

"Might as well enjoy dinner." Olivia said to Alex and they head to the table.

"Do you think it'll work?" Emily asked as they have dinner at a picnic table near a food truck.

"I don't know. Remind me to smack Dom when I see him or I'll have Sydney do it for me since I see her more than I see Dom." Natalie said to Xander.

"I don't think that would work. Hey, got someone looking over at you, sis." He said and Natalie turns around to see a guy looking over at her as he's with his group of friends then she looks away.

"I'm not ready to date." Natalie said and he sighs.

"Nat -"

"Xan, drop it. Now." Reluctantly, he nods. What no one knew was that Natalie had started dating and she wanted to keep the relationship private from her family until she knew that she was comfortable to bring her girlfriend around the family, but her girlfriend has met the kids.

Inside the restaurant, Alex is looking over the menu and glances up to see Olivia looking up at her and slowly smiles as her heart starts to beat rapidly inside her chest, a feeling that she hasn't had since they dated a long time ago.

"So, what brings you to Orlando?" Alex asked after they order their food.

"Work. I'm working with Natalie on her foundation." Olivia said.

"What about the NYPD?"

"I retired last week. I know you said that I needed to stay in New York, but Alex...I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you either. Maybe that's why the kids set this up for us." Alex said.

"Could be. How's Natalie doing? There are rumors that she's dating again." Alex sighs.

"She's scared to start dating again. I never imagined my daughter being in an abusive relationship. And then no one helping her."

"I know you would have. But Natalie didn't want to call you. She didn't know how you would react."

"Well, if Kevin wasn't already dead, I would have killed him with my bare hands for abusing her. Did he ever lay a hand on Allie?"

"Thankfully no. Natalie shielded her from that. She wouldn't know what to do if Kevin did hit Allie. Two months after Kevin died, Natalie adopted Noah and that little boy kept Natalie from hitting rock bottom. When James died the night before Natalie's birthday and over a month after the World Cup...she didn't know if she would ever play soccer again. She wanted to be exactly like her father, except for being a defense attorney. She still hates defense attorneys."

"Who doesn't?"

"Parker and Emily since their father is Langan." Alex said then looks at Olivia.

"How did you know that?"

"Parker looks exactly like Trevor while Emily is a mini you."

Natalie is on her phone on the back porch and has a smile on her face. She doesn't realize that Alex and Olivia walked into the house. They hear Natalie laughing from the back porch and walk over to the door.

"Yes, I'm coming to Utah to see you before you head back to Ireland." Alex hears and stops in her tracks, making Olivia crash into her and making Natalie looks over and Natalie's smile instantly drops.

"Babe?" Natalie hears on her phone.

"Let me call you back, Lynn." Natalie said then hangs up her phone.

"Were you spying on me?" Natalie asked her mother.

"No. We heard you on the phone." Alex said.

"Very typical of you Mom. You've been doing this since I started dating before I had Allie." Natalie angrily said as she walks into her house.

"Sweetie, we weren't eavesdropping."

"I am going downstairs. The kids are sleeping and for god's sake, if you two have sex, do not wake them up." Natalie heads down to the basement to the home recording studio and sits inside the control room.

"Think she's still not dating?" Olivia asked Alex.

"If she is dating, she won't tell me." Alex said then rubs her face.

Olivia walks down the stairs twenty minutes later and hears music playing from a room. She quietly walks in and sees Natalie with her back to the door, leaning back in the chair as she listens to the music.

"Hey." Olivia said and Natalie sits up, looking at the former detective, and stops the music.

"Hey." Natalie said and Olivia sits on the couch.

"Nice recording studio."

"Thanks. After I moved into the house from the city, I knew I had to make one since I work with a lot of singers, so I built this and that door over there is a private entrance. Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you and Mom. I just don't want her or Xander to know that I've been dating again."

"I figured. How long?"

"Since January. When I tore my ACL and MCL last year at the end of the regular season for Orlando, I had to go to Utah to work with a new Irish singing group. One of the singers is my girlfriend and I've been dating her since January. She's older than me, but she makes me so happy. Happiness that I haven't felt in a really long time." Natalie takes out her phone and shows Olivia a picture of her and Lynn.

"You and your Mom have similar taste in brunettes and older women, but she's beautiful." Olivia said.

"She lives in Ireland, but she spends a lot of time in Utah with her group. She's already met the kids and they love her and she loves them. I just don't know how Mom will react when I do tell her." Natalie said.

"Nat, you know that your Mom is making sure that you're taken care of."

"I know. This is her singing." Natalie pulls up Lynn singing "My Lagan Love" from the "Songs from the Heart" PBS Special for Celtic Woman.

"She hasn't aged. How old was she when this was filmed?" Olivia asked.

"My age. Maybe slightly older. I really love her, Liv."

"I can see it in your face that you do."

"I just...Since she lives in a different country, I'm worried that she's going to meet someone better than me." Natalie said.

"Sweetie, from what you're telling me about her and how I look at you when you talk about her, you're going to make this work." Olivia said softly.

Alex, wearing a Harvard t-shirt and jeans, is looking through a magazine on the couch as Olivia is talking to Natalie to calm her down when the doorbell rings. She stands up and walks over to the door and opens it to reveal a woman standing there.

"Hi. I'm looking for Natalie." The woman said with an Irish accent.

"She's in the basement. Come in." Alex said and the woman walks into the house.

"She didn't know that I was at the airport."

"I'm sorry, but how do you know my daughter?" Alex asked.

"She didn't you yet?"

"Clearly not since I have no idea who you are."

"I'm Lynn Hilary. Natalie's girlfriend."


End file.
